A business recognition letter is a type of letter that is used to show appreciation, recognition or praise to another person, and typically, this is to an individual inside the company.
These letters can be short and informal, but formal letters often are more meaningful for the recipient and may provide the opportunity to truly highlight the achievements that the individual made and their impact on the business.
Drafting a business recognition letter is easier to do than it may seem, and this process can be completed in a few easy steps.
Define The Main Purpose For Writing The Letter
Before drafting the letter, it is important to mentally clarify what needs to be said in the letter. Brainstorm the achievements that the individual has made and their impact to the company.
If necessary, interview others who work close to the individual or customers who have been impacted by the individual’s efforts to learn more about the situation at hand. In some cases, it may be appropriate to get quotes from others about the individual’s performance on the job.
If the individual will receive a special honor or gift as a result, this will also need to be defined in the letter. By gathering all of this information up-front, drafting the letter will be easier to do.
Begin Drafting the Letter
All business letters will begin with a date and salutation, and the salutation should be chosen with care. While many will choose to use a more formal format for this type of business letter, they may also choose to address the individual by his or her first name in the salutation if the individual is an employee.
However, if the individual holds a higher level position in the company than the human resources professional and other person who is drafting the letter, using a more formal salutation may be appropriate.
Introduce the Reason for the Letter
The introduction of this type of letter should be positive and should highlight the great efforts of a team or of the business as a whole. In many cases, these letters are published in a local newspaper or distributed internally to all staff members.
At minimum, the letter may be shown to others by the recipient. Therefore, the letter should be drafted tactfully to promote a team environment in the organization. However, it should also state that the individual receiving the letter has truly gone above and beyond in some way and that these efforts have had a profound impact on customers, the business, the community or something else.
Define the Accomplishments
Some people will have a single accomplishment, and others may have several accomplishments that need to be outlined. With a single accomplishment, a paragraph format is suitable.
If there are multiple accomplishments that should be mentioned, using a bullet format may be more ideal to keep the letter organized. The results or impact of each accomplishment should be mentioned as well.
Depending on the situation, the impact may be mentioned at the end of the paragraph describing the accomplishment, or an entirely new paragraph may be written to detail the positive impacts. While excessive detail can be burdensome to read, each accomplishment should be thoroughly explained rather than glanced over.
Define Special Honors or Awards the Individual Will Receive
In some cases, a business recognition letter will be prepared and read at a formal ceremony. In other cases, the letter itself will be the only recognition that is received.
However, many businesses will provide the individual with some type of special gift as a gesture of gratitude. This is not required, but if a gift is given, it should be mentioned in the letter. If the individual will be further honored for the accomplishment or achievement at a special event, this should also be mentioned in the letter.
The Closing of the Letter
The closing of the letter is a critical component of a recognition letter. In this section of the letter, the individual’s on-going efforts to do great work for the business and to perform well on a daily basis should be mentioned.
Any special characteristics of the individual, such as excellent leadership and superior service to customers, should also be mentioned.
An individual who receives this type of letter likely is a highly valued individual in the business, and this should be stated as such. Again mentioning the team environment of the company is also wise in the closing of the letter.
From time to time, a business will be positively impacted by the contributions of a single person, and it is appropriate to show recognition and thanks for this.
More than that, it may foster goodwill and encourage that individual or others to continue to work hard for the business’s benefit. A business recognition letter is a wonderful way to acknowledge special efforts that have profoundly benefited the business.